Execute a Critically Appraised Topic

Execute a Critically Appraised Topic

In this project, you will write a critically appraised topic (CAT): a synthesis of evidence concerning a topic of interest that attempts to answer a research question. You'll gauge the range of evidence available on the topic, formulate a research question based on the evidence that exists, critically appraise the best relevant evidence, synthesize that best evidence, and use the results of your synthesis to develop recommendations.

The timeline for this project is four weeks and the project has 11 steps; please review all of the steps before starting the project to understand its overall process and goals. Then, begin with Step 1: "Choose Your Topic."

When you submit your project, your work will be evaluated using the competencies listed below. You can use the list below to self-check your work before submission.

• 1.1 Construct an argument using scholar-practitioner communication skills.
• 1.2 Write using APA style and format.
• 5.1 Develop a research question relevant to management practice that can be answered by an evidence-based research synthesis.
• 5.2 Acquire necessary and sufficient evidence to answer a research question.
• 5.3 Appraise a piece of collected evidence, such as a scholarly article.

Transcript of the "Execute a Critically Appraised Topic" Scenario It's been several weeks since you submitted your responses to Shandy. You were beginning to think that the company was going to go with a different firm when Mark messages you and asks you to come to his office. Very interested to know how the Shandy situation stands, you head right over. "Well, we did it," he says with satisfaction. "Shandy was pleased with your responses, and they've sent us a statement of work. We should get started right away." "Great," you say, "what do you need?" Mark turns to his computer. "The firm requested modified critically appraised topic evidence documents—CATs—on a variety of issues related to their current organizational concerns. You're familiar with critically appraised topics, right? They're a structured summary of evidence on a topic of interest, usually focused on a practical problem or question. They're basically a 'quick and dirty' version of a systematic review. A CAT summarizes the best available evidence on a topic across a number of published research studies." "Of course," you say. "I know we develop those, and I've read about them in my studies, but I haven't had as much experience with them as the other consultants." Mark peers at his computer. "They want CATs on a range of topics. . . let's see. . . management resistance to telework? the effect of corporate social responsibility efforts on reputation? the benefits of flat organizational structures. . . ." Mark's voice trails off. "Some intriguing topics," you say. "I can see how they would want summaries on these before they decide on their change initiatives. . . or figure out how to prioritize them." "Agreed," says Mark. "I thought I'd give you first choice of a topic and spin the rest out to the team. We need you to pick your topic right way? all of the CATs are due back to Shandy in four weeks. Oh, and before I forget, Shandy has sent us their own CAT template. I'll e­mail it to everyone, but here's the copy I printed." As you take the printout and head out the door, you smile to yourself. You now have the opportunity to serve the firm as a consultant while researching an issue of interest to you. This could even help you as you consider dissertation topics.

Step 1: Choose Your Topic (Research and Selection)

You're eager to begin your critically appraised topic (CAT) for Shandy. As a scholar-practitioner, you're interested in certain areas of study; this assignment will give you a reason for delving more deeply into one of these as well as helping Shandy to develop its change initiatives.

Survey the list of topics Shandy has provided. They are as follows:

• management resistance to telework
• the value (or lack thereof) of benchmarking against aspirational competitors
• the effect of corporate social responsibility efforts on reputation
• the benefits (or lack thereof) of flat organizational structures
• effective behaviors of virtual teams
• factors or conditions to enable employee knowledge-sharing
• managing generationally diverse employees
• strategic leadership of corporate (or nonprofit) boards
• best practices in executive compensation
• the effects of organizational innovation

Consider this list of topics and choose the one that appeals to you most.

Now, you're ready to investigate the topic.

You know that, in significant ways, the task of researching and writing a CAT parallels the dissertation process that you will undertake in your doctoral program, where you will conduct a systematic review of literature; this is your program's standard, required dissertation methodology.

Thus, you already know that the first step to producing a CAT in your chosen topic area is to spend some time in the library databases (you have access to these as a doctoral student).

Review doctoral-level library research skills, part III to prepare for your evidence search. This search will inform your formation of a research question.

You can't begin to formulate a research question on your CAT topic that seeks to aggregate evidence until you have some idea of the range of evidence that exists on the topic. So, you spend some time in the library databases surveying the available evidence.

Now that you have a sense of the range of evidence out there on the topic, you're ready to formulate a research question.

Step 3: Formulate an Answerable Question (Reading and Writing)

Having gotten a sense of the range of evidence available in your chosen topic area generally, you are ready to start building your CAT.

You know that much of the utility of a CAT depends on the research question that you seek to ask. So, you review your resources:

• ask: translate a practical issue or problem into an answerable question
• articulating a (management) problem

Use this information to develop a concise, answerable question within the topic domain.

Because so much rides on the quality of the research question in your CAT, you decide to run your question by Mark to ensure that you are on the right track.

Write up a brief contextual introduction following astandard CAT question format to show him the logic behind your question, citing a few pieces of critical evidence that you intend to use and how that evidence yields your question.

Submit your CAT question, with introduction and evidence.

In order to keep yourself on pace, you'll want to complete this step no later than Week 7.

You will hear back within a week if you need to make any corrections or adjustments.

While waiting, you'll discuss your question with other consultants and comment on those they developed.

Mark has asked you to join a discussion board for all of the consultants working on CAT projects for Shandy, where everyone is sharing and providing feedback on the various research questions.

While you are waiting for feedback on your research question, access the Discussion: CAT Colleague Connection to share your working research question and comment on those of your colleagues.

Mark has reviewed your CAT question. You resolve to incorporate any recommendations for improvement he has given you as you continue in your evidence synthesis process.

You know that the next step in your process is acquire: systematically search for and retrieve the evidence. In this step, you'll conduct a much more formal, targeted search than your initial investigation.

Move forward by following the steps of the bibliographic search process, and using effective Boolean logic.

Choose the 10 best articles that provide direct evidence to answer the research question.

You know that eventually you will need to report on your research process in the document that you provide to Shandy, so you keep detailed notes as you move through the CAT research process. You find that it's often good to think about those notes as a recipe of sorts; would the person who reads them be able to duplicate your process exactly?

Next, you'll appraise the evidence you found.

Having chosen the 10 best articles to inform your research question, the next step is to appraise: critically judge the quality and trustworthiness of the evidence. You feel confident about this step in your process, as you've already evaluated an article for Shandy, and the company was happy with your assessment.

This step is an expansion of that work.

Next, you'll weigh the evidence you appraised.

You realized during the critical appraisal process that some evidence seemed to be more important than other evidence because some studies were of higher quality than others and some samples were more well-constructed than others.

So you know you must account for the weight of evidence before you begin to aggregate it.

With the pieces of evidence weighed, you turn to think about what the evidence means altogether; much as sugar, flour, and eggs aggregate to produce something new and unique, like a cake, you know your evidence pieces need to work together to produce new knowledge or insight as an answer to your research question.

Thus, you aggregate: weigh and synthesize the evidence. You need to look for patterns across the findings and conclusions of the articles. Or, it may be that you find that the evidence appears contradictory or inconclusive. How do you make sense of the evidence, in order to answer your research question from the most informed position?

Armed with the new knowledge of your research synthesis, you consider the practical, managerial implications of that knowledge for Shandy. The company is looking to Lindberg—to you—for solid, evidence-based guidance about what to do.

So, you consider the evidence-based research step apply: incorporate the evidence into decision-making in practice to help you think about what specific recommended actions emerge from your research efforts.

Finally, you are ready to start assembling the CAT that you will send to Shandy. Remember that you have Shandy'sCAT instructions and template to follow.

Because you have studied doctoral-level writing and doctoral-level APA format, you know that writing at this level is deliberate and well-planned. Look at your notes and the CAT template and create an outline for your content. Spend some time crafting how you will organize and explain your content in the structure that the company requires.

Step 11: Write the Critically Appraised Topic

With your ideas outlined, you sit down to write the CAT for Shandy, relying on the company'sCAT instructions and template.

Submit the Critically Appraised Topic (CAT).

In order to keep yourself on pace, you'll want to complete this step no later than Week 10.

You will hear back within a week if you need to make any corrections or adjustments.

Before you submit your assignment, review the competencies below, which your instructor will use to evaluate your work. A good practice would be to use each competency as a self-check to confirm you have incorporated all of them in your work.

• 1.1 Construct an argument using scholar-practitioner communication skills.
• 1.2 Write using APA style and format.
• 5.1 Develop a research question relevant to management practice that can be answered by an evidence-based research synthesis.
• 5.2 Acquire necessary and sufficient evidence to answer a research question.
• 5.3 Appraise a piece of collected evidence, such as a scholarly article.